With the buzz around a box set of remasters / additional trax etc on its way [say a prayer that its true!] who outside this wild and crazy purple bunch would buy copies on release?. Personally if I was at Warners i'd make them a limited release or download only as i think it's commercial suicide. Can some one please put me straight and tell us if it worked for Bowie?.

I think a lot of casual listeners in the age group of 25-55 would like to have remastered albums. There are also a lot of rock/pop listeners ( his crossover audience from the 80s ) who would probably want to buy such albums for their collection because those 80s albums sound a bit weak on CD.

funkyhead said:

What would be the point of making remastered albums only available as download!?!?! The whole point of remastering is to improve the sound quality. Downloads (MP3s) have far less frequency available on them than CDs so this defeats the object!

However, a limited addition box set makes perfect sense and I would definitely buy one, especially if there were additional trax!
[Edited 9/15/06 5:01am]

funkyhead said:

"Everybody wants to sell what's already been sold." I don't need it. It's WB way of continuing to make money off of Prince's hard work by remastering and having anniversary issues of his old stuff, I wish people wouldn't be so easy to give away they're money like that.

wlcm2thdwn said:

You´re right, WB is making money but then again, it´s also about Prince´s legacy...most of the 80´s albums sound crap on CD and Prince deserves better. Those albums are an essential part of music history and should be available in pristine sound quality.

I agree that remasters would mainly be a fan favorite. Based on my own listening habits, I've got basically no interest in remastered full albums from artists that I only casually listen to. IMO, remastered hits collections have more appeal for casual listeners than full albums.

There might be a bit more mass appeal for remastered versions of 1999, PR, and maybe SOTT. Prince's die-hard fanbase would be the main audience for remastered versions of everything.

Surely, you could say that about any act.

Sure giant acts that have long-lasting commercial appeal like the Beatles have a bigger audience for remasters, but they remaster all kinds of artists, they don't have to be giant, and Prince is pretty big. I imagine WB would jump at the chance if Prince gave the word.

And as for moaning about "It's that big bad nasty Warners trying to capitalise on Prince's hard graft" -- Get over it.

NouveauDance said:

co-sign on this.

Actually, I discovered David Bowie's back catalog because the Sound and Vision boxed set (by Rykodisc) just looked so damned cool. And I was so impressed with that set that I proceeded to go back and buy all of Ryko's bonus-track-soaked Bowie remasters.

Then when Ryko started remastering Elvis Costello, I said to myself, 'here's the perfect way to discover Elvis Costello's back catalog!'. I then proceeded to buy everything.

I personally believe that if they make a slick boxed set with demos, live tracks, rarities, a big book, and a bad-ass picture of our boy in the Purple Rain era on the front, the people will come. And if the remasters are ready to go immediately after that, new listeners will dig in.

But is there an actual buzz about this though, or are people just starting a buzz by saying there's a buzz? I personally haven't noticed any buzzing.
[Edited 9/15/06 12:39pm]

what buzz?

Something besides Graycap's?

NouveauDance said:

I gotta agree with you on that.

Madonna's stuff has already been remastered, so now I'm like WTF! I was being very patient waiting for Prince remasters, but c'mon already.

I just hope that the original album structure is intact, with all remixes and b-sides on either a separate disc or at the end (like MJ's remasters).

I think remasters often sound worse than the original versions. Mainly because it's so damn standard to put too damn much compressor on the mix, it kills the dynamics, so I like to listen to prince on vinyl. It sounds much better. Warm sound.

it would be nice if they could spruce up the protege albums before anything (vanity 6, the time, apollonia 6, the family, madhouse, jill jones). just any old excuse to re-release them would work for me.

Remasters of Prince's 80's albums are long overdue IMO.

It's some of the best popular music ever recorded. Reissuing that stuff would do Prince no harm at all and would probably attract new fans who haven't heard those records before.

I'm a fan and I would only buy them if they include additional tracks. If there are no additional tracks, I have no reason to buy them because my CDs and vinyl sound just fine.

As far as the general public goes, some of them would eventually buy "Purple Rain", "1999", and "Dirty Mind" over a period of time. Other than that, they would just stick to a greatest hits collection.



If they do make them a limited release, they need to give plenty of warning way in advance. Hell, I have to save up money for them, I can't just shit money out whenever I see something I want.

As for download only....HELL NO! I don't even own a computer of my own and even if I do eventually have enough money to buy one, I couldn't afford a high speed internet service. Until the price of computers and everything related to them goes down, they need to lay off this "download only" shit because everyone can't afford it.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

triple-sign...

and to add to the comments...folks who buy re-masters do it to replace poorer quality versions of the original...so prince, 1999, diamond & pearls and batman will sell like crazy...around the world in a day, parade, symbol album and sott will sell aight and that rest will tank.

I'm a MAD fan of Music.....good music from anyone. I will GLADLY pay 4 a set like this. No questions asked. The quality of Prince's 1980's output is so poor on cd that it's NOT even funny.

Are all parties involved setting up the stage ( musicology tour, PR dvd release, ultimate cd) and waiting for the most oportune (beneficial) time to release these?

Would this (2006/07) be the right time?

origmnd said:

Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen anytime soon.

Poison's albums were remastered and released last month